Welsh place names

If you look at a map of Wales, you'll see a lot of similar place names. For example, Aber appears at the beginning of many of place names. There's Abertawe (Swansea), Abermawr, Aberfan, Aberystwyth... We've listed some other common prefixes below along with their meanings to help you understand the story behind them:

Aber: the mouth or confluence of a river or small stream. It is usually followed by the name of the river eg. Aberystwyth: mouth of the river Ystwyth

Betws: a house of prayer. Usually followed by the location of the prayer house or its founder’s name. eg. Betws-y-Coed: prayer house in the woods

Blaen: the source of a river, or the head of a valley. eg. Blaenau Ffestiniog: heads of the valleys in the land of Ffestiniog

Llan: a church or parish. Usually followed by the name of the saint to whom the church is dedicated. eg. Llandudno: Church of St Tudno

Bach/fach

small

Bryn

a hill

Bryncastell

castle hill

Bwlch

a mountain pass

Capel

a chapel

Capel Dewi

chapel of David, the Patron Saint of Wales

Castell

castle

Castell Coch

red castle

Caer/Gaer

a fort

Coed

a wood

Ffynnon

a well or spring

Ffynnon Taf

Taff’s well

Glan

a river bank or shore

Glyn

a glen

Hafod

a summer dwelling or a summer pasture

Llanddewi

Church of St David

Llyn

a lake or pool

Mynydd

a mountain

Nant

a stream

Pen

top or end

Pentre

a village

Pont

a bridge

Tre

a homestead or town

Tŷ

a house

One of our best known place names is:Llanfairpwllgwingyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch